Scottish exports rise

The latest export data showed that America continues to be Scotland’s top trading partner outside of the EU.

While the Netherlands was again the largest market within the EU.

The statistics show that exports to countries within the European Union were estimated as £12.3 billion, an increase of £520 million on the previous year driven by an increase in the export of petroleum and chemical products.

Exports to the rest of the UK in 2015 were estimated at £49.8 billion, an increase of £2.1 billion, driven by a rise in the export of utilities such as electricity, gas and water.

Economy Secretary Keith Brown said: “It is hugely encouraging to see that Scotland’s total international exports, excluding oil and gas, increased by £1 billion in a year.

“It is clear that since the vote to leave the European Union, we must continue to be seen to be a country that is outward facing and open for business. The EU market is 8 times the size of UK market, which highlights the importance of remaining in the Single Market.

“I want to be clear that Scotland should not face a choice between exporting to the EU or UK. We can do both.

“We are working on an ambitious programme of internationalisation, including measures to broaden Scotland’s export base and to grow exports beyond our traditional markets, which is why I am pleased to confirm membership of our new Trade Board, who will take forward this important work alongside our new hubs in Dublin, Brussels, London and Berlin and our planned network of trade envoys.”

However, also commenting on the new figures, Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, said that with Scotland’s trade with the rest of the UK worth four times that which the country’s exports to the EU, the importance of the union remains the block of paramount importance to the Scottish economy.

He said: “Our own domestic market in the UK is far and away the most important market for Scotland’s businesses. The Scottish Government’s own figures show our trade with the rest of the UK is worth four times our exports to the EU.

“Businesses in Scotland sold £37.5 billion more in goods and services to their own market in the UK than they did to all 27 EU countries put together.

“Today’s figures show the UK is the vital Union for Scotland, and highlight the importance of maintaining the UK market and preventing any new barriers to doing business across the UK as we leave the EU.

“We know the Scottish Government’s constant talk of a second independence referendum is creating damaging uncertainty for the Scottish economy. I again call on the First Minister to end that uncertainty by taking her threat of another referendum off the table and working with us to get the best deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK.”

Liz Cameron, chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “It is good news that Scotland’s exports increased by £1 billion between 2014 and 2015, reversing the decline that had been experienced in the previous year. The increase is also consistent between EU and non-EU destinations and, indeed, to the rest of the UK. Growth in our exports appears to be back on track.

“However, the detail of these statistics does highlight causes for concern. The Scottish Government’s export growth target was to achieve a 50% increase in international exports between 2010 and 2015. By 2015, only 21.5% growth has been achieved – well short of the Government’s plans. More concerning is the 9.6% fall in international exports by small business between 2014 and 2015, indicating that Scotland is failing to spread the opportunities of internationalisation widely enough throughout our economy.

“These points serve to underline the need to accelerate and become more effective in delivering Scotland’s international trade partnerships, and SCC will play a pro-active role in building B2B relationships with the international Chamber Network to tap into potential opportunities for SMEs. Resources in the public and private sectors are limited and we need to focus on achieving the maximum possible impact in terms of delivering new exporting opportunities for more businesses, particularly small businesses. Following the opportunity, not following the herd, must be the objective.

“With other Government activity such as the Scottish Enterprise and Skills Review and the UK Industrial Strategy being developed, we must ensure that these contribute to a more creative and innovative approach to international trade that delivers ambitious results for our future exporting.”